The RED Soul!! (First Part)

(Hi Guys, I guess it’s time for a adventure through a mystical story. Happy reading folks and please do post you comments. They motivate story writers a lot!! :) )

I peered through the large crevice at an astonishing sight. About five thousand artists had gathered in this huge temple. Artists from musicians to dancers were adorned in the brightest clothes and decked with the best pieces of jewellery with generous splashing of gold and semi-precious stones.

Behind the performers, the best warriors in the country were lined up. Each soldier stood over six feet tall with a six pack to resemble a Greek God. A huge smooth spear glittered in his left hand while a sword ducked in a shining metal shaft shone brightly around his hips.

Oh my God!! I have to beat these hunks to steal the Precious.

One look at my target told me that it would be virtually impossible to steal it, but I had no choice. They had my mom.

My heavy dress adorned with jewels of various kinds was dragging me down. It seemed like a Marine carrying 50 pounds of stuff on a long desert walk in the farthest mountains of Afghanistan. With sweat pouring generously off my body, I looked for an escape route and took a step back from the crevice.

“Don’t you dare” came a sharp hissing voice. Kayal pulled out her sword in one flash and placed it on my neck.

I shook my head and my eyes pleaded with her. She gently pushed me back to the crevice.

“It’s nearly time. He should be here any moment”

Suddenly a huge noise mixed with drums and trumpets along with the shrieking sound of elephants shook both of us. Kayal pushed me aside and peered through the crevice and then motioned me to look through also. From the farthest corner of the temple, came a loud booming voice.

“Rajathi Raja, Raja Gambeera, Raja Marthaanda, Raja Kula Thilaka, Raja Maavera, Raja Kula Shekara, Raja Raja Chozan Vaarugirar (Entry of the greatest king to have ruled the earth, Raja Raja Choza)”

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I felt a bout of nausea hitting me as I looked around. The great king Raja Raja Choza along with his wife and ministers along with the various kings sat around the main podium. I had waited for this opportunity for last fifteen years and my moment of glory had come. I headed the troupe of dancers onto the podium, my heart beat increased with every step. As we saluted our King, he looked straight at me and smiled and then waved his hand for the dance to begin. Through the rolling drums, blowing trumpets, melodious flute notes our troupe matched the music step for step and it all seemed a piece of cake.

As I got down the podium, I could feel a hand crouch around me. I tried to wring myself out of the person’s control but he was far too strong for me. Suddenly from no where the person holding me drilled a sharp dagger into my heart.

“Help!!” I shouted and I got up clutching my heart expecting it to be bleeding. With pouts of sweat lining up my forehead, I could see the morning sunlight softly making its way into my bed room.

“What happened?” my mom came running up to me.

“Dance.. Dagger..” I blurted.

My confused mom shook her head and headed back in to the kitchen. A dance big stage performance for the king along with my murder with a large dagger was usually the part and parcel of nearly all my dreams creating much annoyance for my mom.

“Nice flat” came a sharp voice from the hall.

Not interested in all the stupid visitors visiting my home from time to time, I picked my t-shirt and wore it on and proceeded to the rest-room across the main hall.

“What are you doing son?” spoke a fat lady about the age of my mother as caught me waking into the main hall.

I shrugged and looked at my mom for support, but she was no where to be seen.

“Going to bathroom, aunty” I replied. She laughed so loudly that the children playing in the apartment corridor suddenly quieted down fearing a fierce scolding from the aunty in my home.

“I am not asking about that son” she explained as if I didn’t understand. “Where are you working?”

“ASI” I spoke rubbing the sleep off my eyes.

“What?” she questioned. I searched for my mom again. She never helps me when I am in trouble.

“I am archeologist” I replied.

As the lines on aunty’s forehead converged displaying a complete sense of ignorance of my profession, my mom jumped in from the kitchen.

“He digs the ground for past treasures” she spoke mockingly. She hated my job, while I loved it.

“Oh.. He is software programmer who creates programs for digging earth?” came a earth-shattering comment from the aunty. Damn.. People think that there are only two types of jobs in India – Call Centers and IT!!

“Whatever it is he should get married soon.” Out poured her Einstein type intelligent thoughts.

“He will never get married, unless he digs his future wife out of pit that he works in” replied my mom.

As I ignored my mom’s scathing comments on my bachelorhood and profession, I headed into the bathroom. I didn’t want to get married.

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As I entered the big hall, I was greeted by about 50 enthusiastic prospective archeologists. People taking archeology class had greatly diminished with the onset of the great so-called technology jobs.

I put my bag on the table and scanned the 100 tables situated in the bog hall. I took a piece of chalk and started writing “Archeology – Last Class”

“Before I start asking each of us to introduce ourselves, I speak a little about myself” I started. An enthusiastic student raised his hand and I asked him to speak.

“We all know about you sir. The only South Indian to be selected for NASA’s exploration of various historical sites around the world. Author of twenty books including the best seller “Forgetting India’s Past?”. A former Assistant Field-Director of ASI operations.”

“And a bachelor” whispered a girl smiling sweetly at me. At thirty three I had achieved a little in life, but still there was more to do.

“All you have said is true, but is bull shit according to me” I started. “My real joy came when our team found a major temple in Khajuraho. And I would be even happier if you guys can make a mark in Indian history by discovering some things”

“But before all that you must finish this only class in this semester, to pass and you’re your credentials” I finished.

“I am not going to repeat what is there in this book” I pointed to the fat book in the front desk, “but if you want we can have a discussion on some things that were lost to history”

“Like the Red Soul?” spoke a young student sitting at the top corner of the hall. I scanned for his face and found his eyes gleaming at the prospect of my denial. I had never denied the existence of any myth and had always encouraged my students to dig in for the ultimate truth but not this time.

“Professor” came a low hooting voice of the watchman. “A telegram for you”

As I opened the telegram, a lightning scooted from the base of spinal cord right to the top of my head. As sweat started pouring from my forehead, I slowly started reading the contents.

FOUND RED SOUL. START IMMEDIATELY. SRINI.


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“I really like that book” a sweet voice from a woman sitting right opposite to me broke the silence between us.

I slightly swung my book to the right and looked at her. She was in her later twenties and wore a dark green shiffon sari with a golden brown border. Her bronzed colored skin radiated in the white light partly falling on her hands alone. A single diamond platinum necklace laced her neck to go along with beautiful pairs of diamond earrings.

As I was in no mood for a chat, I swung the book back to my face again. I had to finish it off before I reached the station tomorrow morning.

“Srinivasan writes really well” she spoke again.

I placed a page marker inside the book and looked at her. After letting out a sigh, I grabbed my bottle of water. After gulping a few pints of the elixir of life, I stared right at her eyes.

“What do you know about Srinivasan?”

“He was one of the greatest archeologists of our generation. His excavations range from pyramids in China to hidden stone temples in Bangkok to Khajuraho excavations. Strangely, he disappeared five years back while working on a secret Indian Government project.”

Suddenly she bent low and requested me to come closer. “He is also considered to be the spy of a foreign nation”. I literally jumped out laughing at the joke. I had known Srini for over 20 years now. He had been my mentor till our paths diverged.

Taken aback by my lack of seriousness, she looked away feeling slighted.

“I… I didn’t mean to laugh” I spoke.

“But you did” she protested.

“It’s hilarious to know how many rumors pile around a person when he is out of this world’s eyes” I tried to reason.

“You seem to have a great knowledge about him” I tried to praise her.

“I know about you also, Mr. Venkatraman” she spoke trying to surprise me.

Quite startled to hear my name, I started to think a little vicisouly about this woman. How could she have known me? The probability of a woman knowing about me and sitting right next to me on one of the five trains going to Tanjore was really next to zero.

“I am also going in search of the RED SOUL” she declared.

Seriously taken aback, I tried to avoid gazing into her eyes. Damn.. she knows everything. Srini, why do you always do this to me.

She took out a piece of paper and gave it to me.

FOUND RED SOUL. COME TO BIG TEMPLE. SRINI.

The words that screamed from the telegram were nearly similar to mine.

“Hi, I am Venkat” I officially introduced myself.

“I am Vidya Kumari” she shook my hand. “I am the Special Research Assistant of ASI” she declared. Damn!!

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The train came to a smooth halted at the Tanjore station. I had always wanted to come to this beautiful city. But now, I was about to meet my best friend and along with him, the most precious stone in the history of mankind – the RED SOUL.

“We can refresh ourselves at a lodge nearby and proceed to Temple” I suggested.

“We have no time for that, Venkat. Just brush up and wash your face nearby, I will get some tea for you” she ordered. It had been a long time, since I had taken order from anybody least of that a woman. But it was not a time for a fight; coz she knew more information than what I did.

I nodded my head and in five minutes, we were on our way to the temple. She expertly guided the autorickshaw driver through the narrow alleys and very soon, we reached the temple. The grand entrance of the temple reminded me of my childhood days when my father used to let me sit on the top of his head and we would roam the city. He had been one of the best archeologists of his time. I missed him a lot since he disappeared twenty years ago.

“Lets walk inside and see if we can find Mr. Srinivasan” she spoke. I nodded my head and stepped into the temple when suddenly I clutched my heart. I felt as if somebody had stuck a dagger into my heart.

A strange blankness enveloped me and I felt as if I was floating in mid air.

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As I woke up clutching my heart expecting it to bleed heavily, I found myself looking at a huge painting adorning the room with a few chairs and a sofa. I could find my right hand paining as if I was being pricked by needle and I could find a bottle of saline being injected into me.

I knew I was in some hospital. Suddenly Vidya entered the room and came and sat close on the sofa next to me. “So how are you doing?”

“I am fine. Thanks. What happened to me?” I spoke back.

“You fainted” she replied.

“Before we speak, I would need to know everything that you know about the Red Soul” I spoke mixing politeness with my curiosity to know about what she knew. She was after-all the Special Research Assistant of ASI at such a young age.

She sighed deeply and spoke “About six months ago, we at ASI received a message from Mr. Srinivasan, who for some reason had disappeared. Senior heads at ASI decided to trace the message. However, we were never able to trace it and the search had lost steam until two days ago when we got a telegram. Our team did some research and found out that you had also received a similar message and so we booked a ticket and I met you on the train”

“Wait” I declared. “Who works in your team?” I questioned her more.

“The Red Soul is a national interest” she paused, waiting for my reaction as she tried to steer away from my question. I hinted at her to speak on.

“As you would know the Red Soul is the largest natural Ruby found in the world and it had become a myth till it was rumored to have been found sometime back. The ruby does not belong to India, but was stolen by Raja Raja Choza on his ruthless mission to destroy SriLanka”

Suddenly I started feeling that she was distorting the truth. Raja Raja Choza was just waging a war for god’s sake. But I needed to know everything that she knew and so I kept quiet.

“The Red Soul was the main reason Raja Raja Choza came to power even when his family was pitifully massacred”

Oh Com’on, his brother was killed and his mom committed sati along with husband who died of that grief.

She looked at me for any reaction of her scathing words. Not finding any she continued “The king wanted to secretly store the most precious stone of this world somewhere and legend has it that it is kept hidden in the maze like tunnels running under the Periya Shiva temple of Tanjore”

“Wait a second” I interrupted. “You mean to say nobody tried to search for that precious stone till now”

“Why not?” came a wry reply from her, nearly churning my stomach. “Do you remember the fire that raged through the Periya temple in 1994 while performing the puja. Do you think the fire started on its own?”

I was stumped by the revelation. It took me a moment to digest the fact that many more people with sinister designs who were in search of the stone. I shuddered at the thought of what harm might have come over Srini who had spent half his life time in search of it.

I shook my head. “Why would people fight for a piece of stone?” I sighed.

Vidya let out a huge roar of laughter and looked at me as if I had asked her the most stupid question in this world. “Perhaps you know everything and still want to hear it from me. The Red Soul is not a precious stone, it contains a hidden energy that has been accumulated by the Lanka King, Ravana”

It was my turn to laugh at her. “You mean.. that.. Ravana stored his energy in that?” I could barely control my laughter.

“Ignorant people laugh at all myths” she replied calmly and I stopped laughing feeling a little stupid. That had precisely been my reply to my students who did not believe in myths and stories. Now it was dished out to me.

“Ravana towards the end of the Ramayana war is said to have deposited all his powers in that stone which was then stolen by Raja Raja Choza from the ancient Sri Lankan buddhist monks and the precious stone helped him re-build his dynasty and sustain it for three centuries after his death.”

“So where do we find it now?” I spoke enthusiastically forgetting the fact that the stone had been hidden for ten centuries now.

“First we have to find Srini” she spoke. Suddenly her phone buzzed and she read the SMS that she had just received.

“Ok. Lets go” she commanded.

Not thinking a split second about the saline flowing into my body, I removed the needle of my wrists and we both started walking.

“So where are we going?” I spoke as we hurried down the staircase.

“The Periya Temple” she replied.

“Oh no. Not again”

“We are not going inside the temple” her reply puzzled me even further.

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We reached a small house adjoining one of the outer walls of the massive temple. Vidya opened the door cautiously and switched on her torch. It was pitch black inside.

“Where the damn switch?” I shouted as I tripped over something in the dark place.

“Shut up” she ordered.

I quietly followed and then she pulled some kind of a lever and the wall in front of us started to give way to a staircase in front of us.

“Walk slowly. These are ten centuries old” she cautioned.

As I slowly gripped the railing, I could smell a mixture of stale air and moths. We walked for about ten minutes down the staircase and suddenly she came to a stop.

She expertly pulled out a lever from behind one of the big rocks and suddenly the big rock gave way to a huge hall containing hundreds of statues carved in granite. As I stood amazed by the sculpting on each of the statues in the room, I could see a bright red glow emanating from another room attached to the entrance room where we had been standing. Vidya ushered me in to the next room and my mouth fell open on seeing the source of the shiny bright red light illuminating the entire room.

Before I eyes, was the world’s most precious stone, THE RED RUBY placed on a casket embroided in gold and silver. I took a step towards it and I could feel the waves of power crashing into my body, vibrating each and every one of organs. Ravana’s powers was here for the taking.

“Welcome, Kayal” came a harsh voice. From a corner of the room, a very old lady walking laboriously with the help of a staff, came upto me.

“Who is she?” I asked Vidya.

“She is my grandma” came a hollow reply.

Suddenly I remember that we had found one of the most sought after treasure. “We have found the Red Soul. Com’on lets take it” I spoke willing to share the treasure.

“It’s not that easy” she replied dejectedly. She whispered something to her grandma and her grandma handed her something covered in a silky cloth to her.

“Raja Raja Choza was not a stupid man. He has put a curse on the precious stone that will not allow anybody to steal it” she explained.

“So how do we take it?” I probed further.

“The only way to go back to his time and steal it from there” she spoke.

My feet nearly gave way hearing her thoughts. This was not the first time she had spoken strangely and stupidly.

“Have you heard about the Sands Of Time?” her riddles had reached a limit.

I politely shook my head. She suddenly took out a sharp dagger which had an embroided base of gold and ivory and came closer to me. I took a step back instantly but could not move back further as the old lady’s staff thudded into my back.

“HAIL THE PANDYA DYNASTY!!” came a huge roar from her lips as she punched the dagger into my heart. I had felt the pain many times before and I knew it was a dream, but as I touched my t-shirt to check the wet feeling and saw the thick liquid trickle out of my hands in the bright red light.

It was my blood and she had bloody killed me!!

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(To be Continued....)

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